Record cabinet device



Dec. 19, 1961 M. TOMS RECORD CABINET DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April25, 1960 I INVENTOR. LLOYD M. TOMS Arrvs,

Dec. 19, 1961 L. M. TOMS 3,01

RECORD CABINET DEVICE Filed April 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg-INVENTOR. Lww M. Toms Patented Dec. 19, 1961 3,013,853 RECORD CABINETDEVICE Lloyd M. Toms, Crozet, Va., assignor to Acme Visible Records,Inc., Crozet, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser.No. 24,331 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-303).

This invention relates to improvements in record cabinet devices.

More particularly, the present invention relates .to filing cabinetswherein the cabinet houses a plurality of superimposed drawers or trays,each drawer or tray being carried by a slidably mounted support means.These support means are adapted to move outwardly of the cabinet frontto a limited distance, with the trays remaining pivotally engagedthereto and then adapted to be inclined for operative access to recordmeans carried by the trays.

The movable support means above referred to include channel membersopening toward each other within which are engaged fixed pivotsextending laterally from the inner ends of the trays. These trays arefurther adapted to be engaged to and disengaged from the channel membersby means of slots or notches formed in the upper flange portions of thechannel members which receive the pivot pins. Although there isgenerally no difficulty encountered in accidental disengagement of thetrays from the channel members with which they are associated when thetrays are fully extended and inclined in operative position, it has beenfound that when returning the trays to nested position in the filingcabinet, which comprises elevation of the tray from inclined tohorizontal position, that during the initial movement of returning thetray to within the cabinet at times the tray becomes unintentionallydisengaged by reason of its pivot pins accidentally becoming elevatedthrough the slots and disengaged from the channel members.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide pivot pinsfor the trays of novel contour or cross sectional shape so that althoughthese pins may be passed through the slots in the channels as aforesaidfor engagement and disengagement, this cannot be done when the tray isin an inclined position and only when it is in a substantiallyhorizontal position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention and the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts thereof will be apparent from thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a record card filing cabinet embodyingthe present invention and illustrating one of the component traysthereof in withdrawn and operatively inclined position.

'FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective exploded view, with parts brokenaway, of a tray and its pivot pins and the cooperative supporting meanstherefor, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary View of'the interior side face of the cabinet ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the side wall ofthe cabinet of'FlG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral generally indicates arecord filing cabinet to which the improved means of the presentinvention are adapted. This cabinet comprises a pair of opposed sidewalls 11, 11, the inner faces of which include a plurality of wallchannel members comprising web portions 12 and flange members 13 securedby the leg component 14 to the wall 11. These wall channel members areformed with a plurality of horizontally extending struck-up guidemembers 15 extending upwardly and the members 16 extending downwardly,between which are slidably supported tray supports 17. These traysupports are slidable on the guides 15 and 16 to a limited degreedetermined by the terminal inturned stop members 18 and 19,respectively, which abut against the resilient pads 20 and 21,respectively, engaged to the members 13 whereby movernent of the traysupport 17 is limited outwardly of the cabinet by the stop member 18 andinwardly thereof by the stop member 19.

Although only one of the side walls 11 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and5, it will be understood that each side is formed in a similar manner sothat a pair of opposed tray supports 17 each carries a runner channelmember comprising a web portion 22 secured to the tray support 17 andopening toward each other, each runner channel being endwise closed atits forward end as at 23 and being formed with a slot or notch 24 in theupper flange 25 thereof, this closed forward end portion of the runnerchannel member and its notch 24 being adapted to project forwardly ofthe front end of the cabinet 26 as, for example, shown in the detailview of FIG. 4 to the limit of the stop member 18, and adapted to bereturnnested within the cabinet to the limit of the stop 19' as shown inFIG. 5.

A pair of lower flanges 27, integral with the webs 22 of the runnerchannels carried by a pair of tray supports 17, form a support for aslidable tray 28 which has fixedly secured thereto at its rearward end arod 29 which terminates in the opposed laterally extending pivot pins30, 30. Each of the plurality of horizontally stacked members 28 issupported on opposed pairs of wide flange members 27. The forwardlyprojectable 'end portions of these flanges 27 are recessed or set backas at 31 so that when a tray 28 is withdrawn from the cabinet 10 to theextent where its pivot pins 30 abut against the closed ends 23 of therunner channels, and the runner channels are drawn forwardly to thelimit of the tray support stop members 18, a tray 28 can be caused toincline downwardly and forwardly of the recessed flange portions 31 andforwardly of the face 26 of the cabinet-for example, to rest in aninclined position against the shelf 32 carried near the base of cabinet10 as shown in FIG. 1.

When so inclined, access may be had to the record means carried by thetrays, such as a plurality of cards 33 mounted in edgewise-spaced,overlapped engagement with each other by means of their hinges 34mounted on the flexible metal hangers 35, the opposed ends of which aredisposed and retained beneath the flanges 36 on the trays 28.

As shown in FIG. 2 and the full view in FIG.'3, the

pivot pins 30 are of such contour that they cannot pass through theslots or notches 24 when the trays 28 are inclined to the horizontal,and thus in such position the trays or rather their pivot pins 30 cannotbe withdrawn through the notches 24 in the upper flange 25 of the traysupporting runner channels. However, as appears from the dotted positionin FIG. 3, the contour of the pivot 3-0 is such that when a tray 28 isdisposed in substantially horizontal position it may be readily passedthrough the slot 24. This may be done by shaping the pivot pin in amanner so that it will accomplish the foregoing function. As shown inthe illustrative drawings, one means for accomplishing this is byflattening the normally cylindrical shape of the pins 30 so that theywill be out of round or flattened with the top side of the flat parallelto the tray slide flange 27 when the tray is at its normal inclinedreference angle. That is to say, the flattening of the normallycylindrical pin spreads it so that it is wider than the slot 24 andtherefore cannot jump out of the slide when the tray is pushed at anincline to return it to within the cabinet.

However, when the tray is disposed horizontally the narrower dimensionof the flattened pin will pass easily through the slots 24 and thus willpermit ready insertion or removal of the tray from the cabinet at adesired time, rather than just accidentally. Although the view of FIG. 2shows the pin 30 flattened on the top as viewed in said figure when thetray 28 is inclined, with the remaining portion of the pin rounded, theview of FIG. 3 for clarity shows an optional form in that the pivot pinpor tion 30 has opposed faces substantially parallel and flattened.

As previously indicated, however, any pivot pin 33 contour may beemployed which will accomplish the aforesaid function of being unable topass through a slot 24 when a tray 28 is inclined in operative position,and such that it can pass through the slot 24- when the tray is disposedin substantially horizontal position.

I claim:

1. In a file cabinet the combination of a tray provided with fixedpivots of flattened crosssection, a pair of tray supports having channelmembers opening toward each other and receiving said pivots and mountedin said cabinet for limited slidable engagement therein and to permitprojection of said channels forwardly of said cabinet, the forward endsof said channels being closed and their forwardly projectable portionsbeing formed with notches in their upper flange portions, said flattenedpivots being angularly disposed relative to the plane of said traywhereby they present a profile adapted to pass through said notches whenthe tray is in a substantially horizontal position and a profile ofgreater width than said notches when said tray is inclined to thecabinet for prevention of accidental disengagement in the latterposition.

2. In a cabinet having a removable tray endwise engaged by pivot pinsfixedly secured to and extending laterally from the rear terminal end ofthe tray into opposed channel members opening toward each other andforwardly endwise closed, said channel members normally supporting saidtray in horizontal disposition on lower flange extensions of saidchannels inwardly of said closed forward channel ends, and supports forsaid channels in limited slidable engagement with said cabinet forpermitting the forward end portion of said channels to be projectedoutwardly of the front of the cabinet and the engaged trays to bethereupon pivoted downwardly at an inclination thereto for operativeaccess, the upper flanges of said channels being formed with notches forreceiving said tray pivot pins for engagement and disengagement of saidtrays with said channel members, said pins being of nonuniformcross-section adapted to be moved through said notches when the tray isin a substantially horizontal position and of oversize dimension forpassage through said notches when the tray is in an inclined positionwhereby to prevent accidental disengagement of an engaged tray.

3. In a file cabinet of the class described the combination of a drawerprovided with pivots of noncireular crosssection, a pair of traysupports having channel members opening toward each other and receivingsaid pivots and mounted for limited projection forwardly of saidcabinet, the forward ends of said channels being closed and theirforwardly projectable portions being formed with notches in their upperflange portions, said pivots being secured relative to said tray wherebythey present a profile adapted to pass through said notches when thetray is disposed in a substantially horizontal position and a profile ofgreater width than said notches when said tray is inclined to said traysupports.

4. In a file cabinet the combination of a tray including pivots offlattened cross-section and a pair of tray supports having channelmembers opening to each other and receiving said pivots, the forwardends of said channels being closed and their adjacent end portions beingformed with notches in their upward flange components, said flattenedpivots being fixedly secured relative to said tray with their flat facesat an angle to the plane thereof whereby they present a profile adaptedto pass through said notches when the tray is disposed in substantiallyparallel relationship to the channels and a profile of greater Widththan said notches when said tray is inclined to the channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,632,630 Simmons June 14, 1927 FORElGN PATENTS 159,799 Australia NOV.15, 1954 461,171 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1937

